Construction of inkstands



L f2 y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEO. BURNHAM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONSTRUCTION 0F INKSTANDS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 2,409, dated December 30, 1841.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE BURNHAM, of the city of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new7 and iniproved manner of construct-ing inkstands the body of which consists of a vessel or bottle of caoutchouc or india-rubber or other analogous elastic substance; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 represents a vertical section through the middle of my inkstand, showing all the parts of which it is composed.

A, A, is a common india rubber bottle, which composes the body or reservoir, of the inkstand, and which is shown separately in Fig. 2. Through this bottle passes a shaft of metal, wood, ivory, horn, or other suitable subst-ance, which is tubular through the greater part of its length, and has at its upper end a cup into which the ink contained in the bottle may be forced whenever it may be required. B, B, is this shaft, which is shown separately in Fig. 3, at a, a, it is enlarged, so as to fit air tight into the neck of the bottle, which is bound closely on to it. C, is a cup formed on the upper end of the shaft, and this cup communicates with the elastic bottle by the tubular opening ZJ, l), which at its lower end has a lateral direction, as at c, through which the ink may pass from the bottle. D, is a stopper, or plug, which fits into the upper end of the tubular opening Z), ZJ, and which may be re moved and replaced at pleasure. At the lower end of the shaft B, there is a screw E, cut, and the bottom of the bottle, A, A, is perforated, to admit the shank of this .screw to pass through it.

F, Fig. t, is a foot, or bottom, into the middle of which, as at G, the screw E fits, and when in place, the opening in the bottom of the bottle is eifectually secured by it, and when this has been done the instrument is complete.

When the ink-stand is to be filled With ink the bottle is to be pressed by the hand, the stopper D, having been removed, and the ink may then be gradually poured into the cup O, the hand relaxing as the ink descends. When the inkstand is to be used,

by pressing the bottle, the required quantity of ink may be forced up into the cup C and retained there b v means of the stopper; and by removing this stopper it will instantly descend into the bottle. It will be seen that by this arrangement the ink will be eectually preserved from evaporation, and from exposure to the air, excepting in the small quantity contained in the cup; its depth in this may be readily regulated, so that there shall not be any danger of dipping the pen too deeply in it. This inkstand will be perfectly secure in traveling, for which purpose it may be provided with a screw or sliding cover to the cup, to prevent the derangement of the stopper, when it may be put into a trunk, and packed among clothes with perfect safety. Instead of the stopper D, the instrument may be provided with a small cock, which will render a cap unnecessary; and for the purpose of filling the bottle the more readily there may be an air hole, or opening made through the shaft B, at its neck a, a, as shown at CZ, which opening is at other times, to be closed by means of a stopper, or pin. Other variations may, of course, be made in this apparatus, without materially changing its nature, or altering the principle upon which its useful operation is dependent, and Which is above fully set forth.

What I claim as new in my improved inkstand, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The employment of a gum elastic bottle or other analogous elastic substance to constitute the body, or reservoir, of the instrument for the reception of the ink, in combination with a tubular shaft passing through said elastic bottle, which shaft is furnished with a cup at its upper end into which the ink from the bottle may be forced at pleasure by the pressure of said bott-le, and from which it may be again withdrawn by allowing the bottlve to expand; the whole apparatus being constructed and operating substantially as herein described and made known.

GEORGE BURNI-IAM.

Witnesses:

ROBERT T. FREY, MATTHEW BAIRD. 

